Time recorder



Jan. 22 1924. Y 1,481,574

T. J. WATSON TIME RECORDER Filed Feb. 11, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J'. WATSON, OF SHORT HILLS, NEWv JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 COMPUTING-'FABU- LATING-RECORDING CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TIME RECORDER.

Application led February 11, 1922. Serial No. 535,786.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. lVA'rsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Shortl Hills, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time Recorders, of which the fob lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in lcost keeping and elapsed time machines.

In keeping costs', it is frequently desirable to provide individual time recorders which can be assigned one for each workman or one for each job or machine.. Such a recorder should preferably provide a printed record of elapsed time which has accrued between two time periods and also it materially simplifies cost keeping if the record can show the money valuel of the wages or charges which have accrued for the operation. Such money values usually hear a predetermined relation 'to the amount of elapsed time which is recorded and usually are a direct multiple thereof. In certain cases this money7 value may also include an overhead or fixed charge in which case thel money value would equal the elapsed time multiplied by a rate and increased by an amount representing overhead or fixed charges.

Since a large number of machines of this sort are provided in each establishment, it is important that their construction be simple andl rugged and that the machines also be comparatively inexpensive. their extensive use would be prohibitive. Furthermore they must be so arranged as to prevent the making of improper records and preferably their operation should be as fully automatic as possible.

To this endI have devised the present construction and provide a machine which requires merely the depressing of a lever and the manual resetting of the type wheels to Zero after a complete record has been taken therefrom. Provision is made for automatically changing the printing point after the initial or start record is taken and after the second or final record is taken and the machine reset, the printing point is automatically restored to receive a new card in proper position for an initial or start record thereon.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a side view Otherwise of ,the machine with side covering plate removed to show the interior construction. The section is indicated at 1--1 on Fig. 3.

2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the interior mechanism of the machine and is in part a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the ribbon devices and is taken on line 1-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail-enlarged view 0f the handle interlocking mechanism and shows the saine parts shown in Fig. 2 in displaced position.

6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a card as printed by the machine.

In more detail the machine comprises an enclosing casing 10 of any desired form. Within the casing are suitable frame members 11 which support a through shaft 12 so as to permit rotation thereof. Fixed to this shaft is a wheel 13 preferably carrying upon its periphery a plurality of rows of type 14 and 15. Row 14 is a time row and 15 a value. cost or wage row. Each of the time types has in alignment with it, value, cost or wage types of numerical value equal to the time multiplied by the proper rate. In certain establishments where it is desired to add overhead to the cost-s, this amount may be included in the cost type values. The general arrangement of the printing wheel may be widely varied to meet any desired cost keeping system, it being only essential that each time type have in alignment therewith a corresponding value type element if such values are to he recorded.

To advance the type wheel a .suitable spring 17 is provided which is preferably of the clock spring type having one end fixed to the type wheel and the other to the frame (see Fig. 6). Fixed to one side of the type carrying wheel is an aligning wheel 18 having ratchet teeth upon its periphery. The aligning wheel carries a pawl 19 which engages a ratchet wheel 20. The latter wheel together with an escapement wheel 21 are both fastened to la suitable sleeve 22 which is rotatably mounted upon shaft 12 (see Fig. 3.) Cooperating with wheel 21 is an escapernent device 23 of well known type which is periodically actuated by magnets 24 to release the escapement wheel and to permit it to advance step by step. Magnet 24 is connected to the usual time clock controlled circuit and receives electric current impulses at predetermined time periods. The release ot the esc-apement wheels permits the type wheel 13 to advance under the power of spring 17. The pawl device 19 permits the resetting of the type wheels to zero position and the restoring of power in the spring.

A card receiver of the usual type is mounted in the casing ata proper point to position a card adjacent the printing` point ot the type wheels. rl`he receiver is provided with an adjustable card abutment 26 uponv the end of a bell crank lever 27 which serves to. control the depth to which the card can be inserted. The main operating handle 28 is loosely mounted upon a shatt 29 and provided with a hook pawl 30 adapted under certain conditions to engage a block 31 fixed to shaft 29 and to retract hammer 32 against the tension of a spring 33 (lFig'. 1). By depressingy the handle "fully, the hook pawi 30 trips oil block 31 and allows the springn 33 to throw the hammer against the type ribbon 3ft and imprint a record Jfrom the type upon the record card. rlThe usual ribbon feeding and reversing devices 35 are provided which, being1 of conventional type, need not be described in detail.

rlhe tirst operation on this machine consists in settin the type wheels back to zero. A resetting knob 36 carried upon the end of shaft 12 is provided for this purpose and this knob is rotated clockwise until a movable stop 37 comes into contact with fixed 4stop 38. During this resetting operation type wheel 13 is turned to bring the zeros ot thetime and value type to the printing point, aligning wheel 18 is rotated with the type wheels and the escapement wheel 22 and pawl wheel 20 remain stationary, pawl 19 clicking idly over the teeth ot ratchet wheel 20. The parts are now in the position shown in Fig. 2.

A card is inserted in the card receiver and descends to a position determined by the card abutment 26. Handle 23 is then depressed. llpon the initial downward movenient of this handle, a linlagge 39, l0 connected to the hammer rocks an aligningpawl 41 into eno'agement with aligning' ratchet wheel 13 and aligns the type at the printing* point. rlhis operation is first completed and the hammer 32 is then impelled against the type to print zeros upon card l2 as shown at 43, l. During the aforesaid `lirst printing operation the card abutment lever is held in lower position by means of a sto et carried by the aligning wheel 18 (see Fig. 2). rllhis aligning wheel will have previously been restored together with the type wheels by the rotation ot resetting lrnob 36.

The current pulses from the'master cloclr Lunar/4.

now periodically actuate magnet 24 and the escapement wheel is released step by step, permitting a similar advance ot lthe type and alignment wheels under the power of spring 17. After the first time impulse, stop la will move from under the projection on the card abutment lever 27 and spring 45 will swing this lever, countercloc'kwise against a stop (see Fip. 5). The parts are now ready for the talring ot a second record of elapsed time and cost. rlhis may be done at any time. The operator inserts the card in the receiver, the card abutment having" now been shifted upwardly, the second imprint will be at a diilcerent position upon the record card. Printing is now carn ried out as before and the time and value imprints will be made upon the record card as shown at el@ (Fig. 7

rll`he card record is now complete, and prior to the next operation the type wheels must be reset to zero. Means are provided for preventing an effective printing operation until the type wheel is entirely reset to zero. yl`he operator therefore, after the second printing operation, must turn the resetting knob and turn it completely. This operation restores the card abutment lever to initial position. rl`he mechanism for these purposes will now be described.

A spring lever 4:7 is provided pivoted upon a suitable 'frame member and engaging at its upper end a pin t8 upon the card abutment lever 27. The lower end of this lever t7 overlies the end ol the hook pawl 30 during` the first printing operation and during` the depression ot the handle 28 upon the second printing operation. After entirely depressingf the handle on the second opera-tion, lever 27 having,- been'raised, lever t? will swingin the path of: the nose of the hoolr pawl 30 and prevent its swinging into a position to cooperate with block 3l upon the next downward operating stroke otfhandie 28 (see 5). Thereafter any nipulation of the handle will be ineffective upon the hammer. The foregoing' condition maintains until the type wheels are reset to zero, when projection all will cam downwardly upon the card abutment lever 27, restoringI pivoted lever i? to the position shown inlig. 2 and setting` the card abutment for Zero printing upon the nent first l operation. The handle may now be depressed as before.

l claiml. A ytime recorder comprising time controlled wheel, a record support, means tor taking a printed record vfrom said wheel, means controlled by the advance of said wheel trom its initial position for llll lili

shitting1 said record support relatively to said wheel, and means for resettingl said wheel to zero restoringn said record support to its initiat position.

2. In a time recorder, in combination, a time controlled type Wheel, a record support, means operable upon the movement of said Wheel for shifting said support, means for ,i taking off successive start and finish printed records from said Wheel, means for resetting they wheel to zero, and means for preventing the taking of a start record until the Wheel has been reset.

3. A time recorder comprising in combination, a time controlled type Wheel, means for taking records therefrom at successive positions upon a record sheet, means for resetting said Wheel to zero, and means for preventing the taking of a start record until the wheel has been reset.

4. A time recorder comprising a time controlled type wheel, a record support, means for shifting said support relatively to said wheels to position a record to receive successive imprints at different positions thereon, means for resetting said'wheel to zero,

rand means operable upon the resetting of the wheel to zero for shifting the record support to its first record receiving position.

5. A time recorderl comprising a time and value type wheel, means for positioning the same in accordance with elapsed time, means for resettingfthe Wheel to zero to receive a new time record, means for taking a printed record of time and value from l said Wheel, and means for preventing the taking of a record from the lWheel after the first elapsed time record has been imprinted upon a record.

6. A time recorder comprising a time and value type'vvheel, means for initially resetting the same to Zero, means for taking an initial record therefrom, means for advancing said Wheels in accordance With a time factor, means for thereafter taking a-sec0nd finish record from said Wheels, and means for thereafter preventing the taking of another record from said Wheel until the resetting means has been operated to restore the wheel to zero position.

7. A time recorder comprising in combination, a Wheel carrying related time and value type, time cont-rolled means for advancing said Wheel, means for taking a record of elapsed time and corresponding value from said type, and means for resetting said Wheel to zero and for preventing the taking of a record until said Wheel is reset. n 8. In a time recorder, in combination with a time controlled type Wheel, a record support, means for taking a printed record from said Wheel, means controlled directly by the advance of said Wheel from initial position and independently of the record for shitting said support from initial position immediately after a start record is taken to permit the taking of a finish record, and manually operable means for restoring the record support to initial position.

9. A time recorder including in combination, a time-controlled type wheel, a record card receiver, means for taking records from the said wheel, means called into action upon the initial advance of the time wheel for shifting the card receiver to position the card for receiving a further record, and means operable upon the taking of a second record for preventing the taking of further records.

10. A time recorder including in combination', a time-controlled type ivheel, a record card receiver. means for taking initial and second records from the'said wheel, means tor shitting the card receiver to position the card for receiving a second record. means operable upon the taking of a second record for preventing the taking of furtherrecords. means for restoring the card receiver to initial position, means for resetting thetypc wheel to Zero, and means for releasing the record taking means whereupon a new start record `may be taken.

l1. A time recorder including in combination, a time-controlled type Wheel, means for taking zero and elapsed time records from the said ivheel, and means operable upon the takingof an elapsed time record for preventing the taking of further records until the machine is 'reset for a start 01' zero record.

12. A time recorder including in combination, a time-controlled type wheel, a record card receiver, means for taking tirst and second records from the said Wheel. means for shifting the card receiver sol that the record card may receive successive time imprints, means operable upon the taking of a second record for preventing the taking of further records, and means for restoring the card receiver to initial position and for releasing the record taking means whereupon a new rst record may be taken.

13. A time recorder including in combination, a time-controlled type wheel, a record support, means for taking start and finish records from the said Wheel, means for shifting the card support to position the start and finish record at successive points on the record, means operable upon the taking of a second record for preventing the taking of further records, and means for restoring the card receiver to initial position and for resetting the type wheel to zero.

In testimony whereof I herel aitix my signature.

THOMAS J. WATSON. 

